"Contentment Isn't Settling – It's Savoring."

"Contentment Isn’t Settling – It’s Savoring." | Episode 23: WORDS MATTER

In this episode of WORDS MATTER, Deanna Ley, The Catalytic Coach, invites you to pause and challenge the belief that contentment means settling. With her original quote, “Contentment isn’t settling – it’s savoring,” she explores how chasing The Next can quietly rob us of The Now.

Through real stories and honest reflection, Deanna reminds us that savoring the present doesn’t mean slowing down—it means showing up. It’s choosing to root yourself in what’s already good, even as you reach for more. Because when you stop rushing past what matters, you start truly living the life you’ve worked so hard to build.

What Listeners Will Learn:
• Why The Next is stealing your Now
• The difference between settling and savoring
• How contentment fuels your drive—instead of killing it
• What research says about presence, joy, and burnout
• How to anchor your day in three moments that matter

Memorable Quotes:
• “Contentment isn’t settling – it’s savoring.” — Deanna Ley
• “What if this life I'm racing through is the one I've actually worked so hard for?”
• “The Next is stealing my Now.”
• “Settling holds you back, while savoring sets you free.”
• “The problem isn’t the dreaming and the doing—it’s forgetting to live while you dream and do.”
• “You don’t have to chase the next thing to prove that you’re worthy of this one.”

This episode challenges you to stop hustling past your joy and start experiencing the life you’ve already built—one moment, one breath, one choice at a time.

Your WORDS MATTER, because YOU MATTER.
❤️❤️❤️

Transcript

Well, hello, hello, hello! Welcome back to another great episode of WORDS MATTER. You’ve worked hard to build your life, haven’t you? I mean – you’ve shown up, you’ve grown, you’ve given it your all. I’m wondering though… Is there a little voice – a little nagging voice – inside of your head that whispers, “You’re not there yet. Keep pushing. Do more. Be more.”

Friends, that’s a trap. That voice pulls you out of your life – chasing a finish line that keeps moving. It leaves you discontent, distracted, missing the moment that you’re actually in.

Today’s quote? It’s one I came up with, but it’s not just for you. It’s for me, too, because I’m actually still wrestling with it.

“Contentment isn’t settling – it’s savoring.”

Here’s the truth. I struggle with discontentment – big time. I’m wired to chase The Next – the next goal, the next idea, the next way to help… support, build, fix, grow. My brain is always scanning for what’s not done yet and what’s still to come. And yeah, that drive has built some incredible things – my businesses, my communities, so many great relationships, my momentum.

But friends, it’s cost me. I’ve skipped moments that mattered – joy, peace, celebration – because I was too focused on what was coming. That’s my gap. And I’ve let a lot of that crap pile up in it.

Society pushes this restlessness, doesn’t it? It sells a lie that peace, joy, and being enough – they’re always one step away. Social media shows perfect lives. Hustle culture yells “MORE!” while ads whisper, “Not yet,” or, “Not enough.” And we buy it. We chase… and we miss what’s already here.

Last October, I was hiking with my husband Chris at Washington State Park here in Missouri. It was a beautiful, cool Fall day, and I opened up to him about how worn out I was from constantly feeling restless and discontent. It wasn’t that I didn’t love my life or wasn’t proud of where I was in it – I was just too exhausted to even take notice, because there’s always more to do, more to create, more to take action on. Chris, being amazing as he is, didn’t try to fix it or fix me. He just listened. And then we talked. We talked and talked while we walked, working through it together.

That hike really got me thinking. I didn’t have some big revelation that day, but since then, every time I catch myself rushing past the moment, I remember that trail – and that talk. It’s gotten me really curious, asking myself questions like, “What if I’m missing out?”, “What if this life I’m racing through is the one I’ve actually worked so hard for?”, and “What if I’m restless because I’m not stopping to see what’s actually here?” It’s in those moments that it hits me most – always chasing – that The Next is stealing my Now.

I’m not willing to settle for a life I don’t savor anymore though. How about you? Do you want to just work and work and work to build a “good” life without pausing long enough to see what you’ve got, where you are, or how far you’ve come? Or do you want to better savor the life you have while you’re learning, while you’re growing, while you’re taking steps toward the life you’ve been dreaming about?

Contentment’s not a quick fix or a checkbox. It says, “This moment matters, because I matter.” 

Yes, you can savor even when your money is tight, even when your to-do list is a mile long, even when your dreams are still coming together. And that is the opposite of settling.

See, settling is staying stuck – like refusing to leave a job that drains you, shrinking inside of a relationship that doesn’t serve you, or saying, “It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” when your soul knows it’s not. Savoring is seeing what’s good right now, while still moving forward. Settling holds you back. Savoring sets you free.

But we’re not taught to do this. We’re told that celebrating is bragging. That pausing is for the weak. So we hustle. We push. And we miss out on our lives. Well, I’m over it. And I want you to be over it, too.

That’s why I’ve made sure my IKAGG networking organization and my CORE4 Community can both be places where people share their WINs and their WOWs without judgment. In IKAGG, if you say, “I just closed a big sale I’ve been working on for a while!” or “I just won an award!” – you get cheers and claps and WOOHOOs. And in the CORE4, if you say, “I did a really hard thing yesterday,” or “I chose me today,” – you get uplifted, supported, and encouraged.

That’s savoring. That’s owning your moments.

And research backs this up. Study after study shows that chasing this endless cycle of Next leads to stress, burnout, and the belief that nothing’s ever enough. But savoring The Now? It cuts stress. It increases joy. It helps you feel enough – right where you are.

Now don’t get me wrong… Anybody who knows me knows that I’m still a dreamer. I’m still a doer. I’m still a coach who loves to ask, “What do you want more of?” More joy? More connection? More truth?

But the problem isn’t the dreaming and the doing. It’s forgetting to live while you dream and do. Contentment doesn’t have to kill your drive. It can actually fuel it. It’s hearing a laugh. It’s feeling the breeze. It’s saying, “This life – it’s mine, and it’s good. Right here. Right now. I am content today.”

So how do I plan to savor life more? Well, I’m a work in progress, but I can tell you this: I’m done rushing past my moments that matter.

So here’s what I’m going to do moving forward. When I step outside, I’ll stop. I’ll feel the ground beneath me, listen for the birds, and notice the breeze. When I’m with my family and my friends, I’ll truly listen to their stories, their laughter, and their hearts. I’ll choose to be present. I’ll create space for more of what truly matters.

Because my Next? It’s me – living fully, rooted in The Now, as I boldly step into what’s ahead.

And I know what that looks like. Just this past weekend, I spent time with our six-year-old granddaughter. I was fully present with her. I heard her laugh. I saw her eyes light up. I listened to her stories. And I realized how much I noticed – when I was really there.

That’s savoring. A life we don’t just get through – but truly live. And I’m committed to doing just that.

How about you? Do you want to be content… here… today? Do you want to savor more?

Picture a life free from that restless pursuit – one where you love your Now and still chase your dreams with a full heart. That’s what savoring can give you. You don’t have to choose between doing and savoring. You can keep going after what’s Next while fully loving what’s Now.

Contentment is your power to rise and own your story. And I’m rooting you on, friends.

And your challenge? Well, I’m walking this one with you. Find three real moments a day to savor. The quiet after a tough day. Your kid’s laugh – even when they’re wild. The heartbeat that reminds you you’re still here. Stop. Breathe. Say, “I’m savoring this.” And if you’re feeling bold, say, “And I’m proud of myself for doing so.”

Because every time you do, you’re building a life you’re not just hustling through – you’re fully experiencing it. We know that your words shape your world. So speak truth. Claim joy. Live this life. Right now. It’s yours.

Because contentment doesn’t mean you’ve stopped dreaming or stopped doing. It means you’ve started living.

You don’t have to chase the next thing to prove you’re worthy of this one. You already are.

So soak in The Now. Know that you’re not behind. Know that you’re not too late.

You’re exactly where you need to be. Here. Today. Now.

And that – all of that – that’s worth savoring.

Friends, the words we see and read, the words we hear, and the words we say to ourselves and about ourselves – about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it – they all matter.

Your WORDS MATTER, because YOU MATTER.

Have a great day.

❤️❤️❤️